By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The bid for construction of the new Ellis County EMS/Rural Fire building was awarded July 8. Eager to get started on the oft-delayed project, Ellis County officials hosted the site groundbreaking Tuesday afternoon, just one week later.

Commercial Builders Inc. of Hays was awarded the construction bid of $3.4 million for the base proposal plus an alternate for extra insulation for $32,800, bringing the total project cost to $3.52 million. The architect is Spangenberg Phillips Tice Architecture, Wichita.

Commissioners previously rejected the first round of bids late last year because they all came in over the $3.5 million estimated cost.

The facility will be built at 22nd Street and General Hays Road in Hays, a block south of the current EMS building.

Commercial Builders employees started work at the site Tuesday and have one year to complete the building.

After the Hays Area Chamber of Commerce ground-breaking ceremony, EMS Director Kerry McCue thanked the public and the county for their “support and diligent work during the long process”:

The EMS/Rural Fire building project is being funded through a sales tax passed by Ellis County voters last spring.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Jill Pokorny, the reigning Ellis County Rodeo Queen, will turn over her tiara and duties to the new 2014 queen next Tuesday night.

Pokorny just graduated from Hays High School and will head to Kansas State University this fall to study biochemistry. Her horses will have to remain in Hays.

“I started working with horses in 4-H and participating in the rodeo pageant has made me a much better rider,” Pokorny said Saturday morning. “I’m also more at ease as a public speaker.”

Pokorny is now an Ellis County Rodeo Pageant committee member and plans to remain on it while in Manhattan.

Most appealing about the sport of rodeo to Pokorny is the “ability of a horse and rider to communicate in such a way it appears effortless, but it’s actually years of training and preparation.”

There are 13 contestants in this year’s pageant. One will be named Queen; a younger girl will become Princess. There are eight Little Miss participants.

Though the girls and their horses may be wearing a lot of “bling,” the three judges are looking past the sparkle, explained Pokorny.

“The pageant includes horsemanship and a written test on rodeo knowledge. The talent portion includes modeling of their pageant outfit, a memorized speech and answering an impromptu random question. After lunch, each girl does a personal interview with the judge panel.

“The winners will best represent Ellis County and the sport of rodeo for the next year,” said Pokorny.

The 2014 contestants are:
QUEEN: Logan Snyder-Smith Center
PRINCESS: Jaylinn Pfeifer-Ellis, Leigh-Ann Poe-Hill City, Mary Claire Towns-Ellis, Sarah Wasko-Hanston
LITTLE MISS: Cadence Dickey-Munjor, Eva Gaschler-Ellis, Callie Lane-Munjur, Lexie Macumber-Hays, Mirriam Towns-Palco, Cadence Warfield-Hays, Kylah Warfield-Hays, Cidnee Werth-Munjor

The judges’ results are scored by an off-site auditor.

No one knows who the winners are until they are announced July 15, the first of two nights of KPRA Rodeo action during the Ellis County Fair. The coronation ceremony begins at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the rodeo arena.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The Kansas Water Vision Team is in the midst of a week-long tour to unveil the first draft of the “Vision for the Future of Water in Kansas.”

Meetings will be held in 12 towns, but Hays is not one of them — not yet, anyway.

The six-member team, with representatives from the Kansas Water Office and the Kansas Department of Agriculture, made a presentation in Stockton on Wednesday morning.

Gov. Sam Brownback, who was in Hays Saturday for the Wild West Festival, said the plan is a “series of ideas put together for further public comment.”

“It will be presented in Hays,” he added, a town known statewide for water conservation efforts:

Last fall, Brownback asked his administration to develop a 50-year plan in response to ongoing drought conditions and predictions the Ogallala Aquifer would be nearly depleted in 50 years at current use levels, and the state’s reservoirs would lose 40 percent capacity due to sedimentation.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The new eight-classroom addition on the east side of Hays Middle School is nearly completed.

According to Hays USD 489 Superintendent Dean Katt, a ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for Aug. 7 at 10 a.m.:

The Hays school district received a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help pay for the project. It is built to FEMA specifications and also will serve as a storm shelter for students and staff.

There were nearly 600  sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders attending Hays Middle School last year. Enrollment projections call for up to 800 HMS students by the 2015-16 school year.  

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts was very happy to be invited to ride on the Marines float in Saturday morning’s Wild West Fest parade in downtown Hays.

“It’s a real privilege to be here,” Roberts said prior to the start of the parade. He visited with several active and retired military members on the float.

This year’s WWF theme, “Home of the Free Because of the Brave,” had significant meaning to Roberts.

“My dad was in Okinawa in Iwo Jima during World War II. I was able to visit there, and I’m a Marine as well.”

The 78-year-old three-term Republican has been combating criticism from his primary opponent, Dr. Milton Wolfe, Overland Park, who contends Roberts shouldn’t represent a state where he no longer lives permanently. Roberts owns a property in Dodge City that he currently rents out.

However, the State Board of Objections unanimously dismissed a challenge in May about Roberts’ residency, clearing the way for the senator to stay on the ballot in the August primary.

Roberts said his re-election campaign is “going fine”:

Roberts’ wife, Franki, joined him on the parade float.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Gov. Sam Brownback was one of several elected state officials participating in Saturday morning’s Wild West Fest parade in downtown Hays.

The governor arrived at his parade entry spot in plenty of time to visit with other parade participants before it started. Brownback’s convertible was parked next to the fire station where he walked up to a couple on-duty firefighters to shake their hands. Brownback then walked out to the crowd lining Main Street and shook a few more hands.

Back at the convertible being decorated by Ellis County Republican Party Chairwoman Elaine Adams and other volunteers, Brownback took a few minutes to talk about his re-election campaign.

“My strategy is pretty clear,” he said. “One, tell people what we’ve done. We’ve cut taxes, we’ve got private-sector job growth, we’ve got people moving into Kansas. And then tell people what my opponent has done. Paul Davis is an Obama Democrat; I’m mostly a Reagan Republican. And then let people choose.”

The presumed Democratic challenger in the governor’s race is Lawrence attorney and state House Minority Leader Paul Davis. Jill Docking, a Wichita financial planner, is Davis’ running mate. In the August primary, Brownback faces Wichita native Jennifer Winn.

Brownback said he’s hearing several common concerns from constituents as he campaigns across Kansas:

Brownback also talked about state’s Water Vision plan for the next 50 years. The first draft report was released Tuesday.

The Kansas Water Office plans a statewide tour starting July 7 to gather public input.

Although not yet on the itinerary, Brownback said a meeting will be scheduled in Hays.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Summer is a busy time for street repairs and projects in Hays.

Public Works Director I. D. Creech said a couple projects will begin within the next few days and he cautioned drivers to “be observant”:

Creech also said the 41st Street widening project is progressing, although “rain has slowed some of the work down, but nobody’s complaining.” He expects the current portion to be completed by the end of August and then the next phase will begin.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The look of the tarmac at Hays Regional Airport soon will change.

SkyWest, operating as United Express, will start passenger flight service Aug. 1. The daily flights between Hays and Denver will operate using 50-seat Bombardier-manufactured CRJ200 aircraft.

The planes are bigger than what’s been used by prior commercial flight providers.

Acting airport manager I.D. Creech, who is also the Hays Public Works Director, said that requires some changes:

Click here to see more about the CRJ200 to be used in Hays.

Related story: Airport terminal also undergoing renovations.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The search continues for a new manager of the Hays Regional Airport, after Bob Johnson resigned that position in early May.

SkyWest Airlines, operating as United Express, is scheduled to start passenger service Aug. 1.

Director of Public Works I.D. Creech, who is serving as acting airport manager, said Monday it could take a little longer than four weeks to have the manager in place.

“The process takes a while to get the right person, and they’re going to have to relocate,” he said.

Creech anticipates SkyWest employees will start work four days before the flights between Hays and Denver will begin. Flights can now be booked online for travel after Aug. 1.

There will be 12 flights a week from Hays to Denver, using 50-seat Bombardier-manufactured CRJ200 jet aircraft. 

Major improvements to the airport terminal also will start soon, including construction of a larger secure holding area and a restroom inside the TSA holding area.

Related story: Fly Hays, SkyWest ready to show off new commercial.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The month of June yielded significant rain for Hays, nearly 10 inches, according to official records kept by the K-State Ag Research Center. That’s 6 inches above average for the month.

Although lawns are green, Hays is still in the fourth year of a drought.

During a special meeting Monday night in which city commissioners voted to lift the fireworks ban, Mayor Henry Schwaller pointed out Hays “remains about 12 inches behind average precipitation.”

Commissioners will hear a water supply update from Bernie Kitten, Director of Utilities, during their Thursday night work session.

The recharge of two of the city’s water wellfields, Smoky Hill and Big Creek, is being calculated.

“The data from both of those wellfields will give the commission the opportunity to make the determination of the appropriate stage to be in in our water plan,” Assistant Hays City Manager Paul Briseno said Tuesday.

“There are a number of factors,” he explained, including how much water is used each day by customers:

Hays also gets some water from the Dakota Aquifer.

“We try to balance our sources,” Briseno added. “We usually go about half and half between Big Creek and the Smoky, and commingle a small percentage from the Dakota, so we don’t deplete any one source and our water supply lasts as long as possible.”

The city of Hays is currently in a water warning, with no outside watering allowed between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The city of Hays’ annual Fourth of July celebration, Wild West Festival, starts Wednesday and continues through Saturday.

This is the 20th year for the event, and volunteer committee members said, as usual, there will be lots of fun, food and concerts.

The parade along Main Street, with the theme “Home of the Free Because of the Brave,” starts at 10 a.m. Saturday, shortly after the 5K Run/Walk and Hays Med CHI Family Workout.

Although Hays city commissioners waited until Monday evening to lift the fireworks ban for consumers, the WWF Free Fireworks Spectacular has always been a go for 10 p.m. July 4. Longtime volunteer coordinator Tom Meiers said the Hays Fire Department will have a crew on standby:

The All American Citizen Award will be announced and presented at 7 p.m. Saturday on the WWF stage in Municipal Park.

The Heart of America Carnival open will be open each evening 6 to 10 p.m.

Admission has been kept low over the years, said volunteer Bob Swift, thanks to the many WWF sponsors:

Historical interpreter Dave Wood, aka Wild Bill Hickock, will portray the former Ellis County sheriff at the Ellis County Historical Society.

A complete list of events and ticket information is available on the Wild West Festival website.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Topeka resident Chad Taylor is a candidate for the Kansas U.S. senate seat currently held by Republican Pat Roberts.

Taylor, a Democrat, is the district attorney of Shawnee County.

On Monday, Taylor was campaigning in Hays and western Kansas.

Although the state has not elected a Democratic senator to Congress since 1932, Taylor said Kansans along the campaign trail are telling him they’re “tired of labels and partisan politics”:

Taylor grew up on his family farm in rural Shawnee County near Silver Lake, which he and his wife, Karily, now own.

He said his first priority if elected is campaign finance reform.

More information about Taylor’s campaign is available on his website.